Rich1939
Member
I suspect that better, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
Ivory and its substitutes
- Thread starter CraigC
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I suspect that better, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
It would have to be but I'd love to hear how painted plastic is better than the real thing.
dickydalton
Member
I got these from Boone Trading Co. They call it American Ivory.
Armybrat
Member
At $28, these Altamonts are pretty darn nice IMO.
Armybrat
Member
But not as nice as the real thing, of course...
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
They are. I was always a big fan of the Buckmark and looked for aftermarket grips for years. Got these from the Altamont booth at a gun show +20yrs ago, long before anyone knew who they were. Thought I had won the lottery!
dickydalton
Member
I forgot where I got these.
Wolfman0125
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I meant in terms of care and durability, utility. Not in value. Lol. These grips are meant to be used, not just to be in a display case and handled with gloves. No maintenance or special care is needed for these as they are very dense, void free, solvent resistant and can be carved or scrimshawed if you wish. Won’t crack or peel. Yet most experts can’t tell the difference. Now I don’t work for Arizona Grips. I’m just a customer. I’m just saying that they are the best Ivory alternative out there, because they are made of ground Ivory and not a polymer or resin.
Wolfman0125
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The best Ivory out there is made of literal teeth, but it’s way too expensive and illegal to harvest now, That is why I had to settle for these. .
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I have to disagree with most of that. They're affordable and they may be better than some of the lesser polymer grips but that's about it. There is no visible grain so that puts it behind those like UltraIvory, TruIvory and one I didn't mention in the article, ResinIvory. No "expert" is going to mistake them for the real thing. There is very little maintenance involved in real ivory, just a light coat of mineral oil every couple years. Ivory is not fragile or delicate. I would not have spent the money to have it fitted to my .500 if it were. I know others with custom .475's and .500's also wearing ivory. It's not just for show pieces, I use every gun I own that wears ivory grips. In fact, I wouldn't own an ivory gripped handgun I did not use.
Wolfman0125
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There is no substitute for Ivory in value but The Arizona Custom Grips do have the variegated variations and grain and no two are exactly alike. The aging process they use is not just surface dye that will rub off and it develops a patina as Ivory does.
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I wasn't speaking to value.
I don't see any grain. Only a brown colored paint applied over it.
I don't see any grain. Only a brown colored paint applied over it.
Wolfman0125
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Thanks Craig,
Those are actually for a K frame but they fit the Model 22-4 well enough for me.
Got them from a security guard. He stumbled on a break in, in progress. I was the first squad car to arrive and pulled two off him. He had some bruises but he was grateful I arrived so quickly. Asked what he could do to repay me. I told him leave me those grips in your will.
Kevin
Wolfman0125
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Anyway, I see what you are talking about. After I zoomed in on the picture. The stuff I said about Arizona Grips was quoted from their advertisement for their product. and I meant it in comparison to other polymer grips or resin grips more so than by comparison to authentic real Ivory. By better, I meant as in durability. I had thought this thread included Ivory alternatives so I was just showing off the ones I purchased from them on Ebay. I’m very happy with them. I’m not familiar with Tru Ivory or any other brand as these are my first pair.
LUCKYDAWG13
Member
Me too
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
No experience yet but it looks good and actually has Schreger lines.
If you are referring to Warther Resin-Ivory+S, I have a little bit of experience with it. I am currently having two Randall knives made with it as the handle material, and I bought a set of their 1911 grips. While I like the look of the grips a lot, I think the medallion is a little bit too recessed and feels a bit weird in the hand. Sorry for the lousy photo.
As I mentioned previously, my Randall dealer swears by it. He has a fair amount of experience with real ivory, as it used to be a popular handle material for Randalls. My father has a Randall Model 1 with a Westinghouse micarta handle, and I have a couple of Randalls with their current ivory micarta offering. I think the Warther Resin Ivory looks better than both of them. That being said, my personal experience with real ivory is limited to a couple of Lile knives and a single Randall that are in my father's collection, so I will definitely defer to those more knowledgeable in how it compares to the real stuff.
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I ordered two sets of blanks of ResinIvory.
Speedo66
Member
No information on these grips other than I see they have a nice variety of one piece grips with different finishes, and specifically mention a "stag" copy for Uberti SAA.
http://buffalobrothers.net/epages/6...cf4-e93d79a29461/Categories/On_Line_Store/4-B
http://buffalobrothers.net/epages/6...cf4-e93d79a29461/Categories/On_Line_Store/4-B
tark
Member
I did not know this, CraigC. Thank you for the info. My avatar has real ivory grips and I had no idea that mineral oil would slow the decay of real ivory. ( If you can call it "decay", I always thought of it as "ageing gracefully." )
Also, does exposure to light have any relation to the darkening of ivory with age? Thanks again!!!
v8stang289
Member
This is Arizona Custom Grips "magna tusk" ivory substitute, un-aged.
It's dense and heavy feeling almost like ceramic to me. I do like the way it looks, but it has no grain and will never be mistaken for real ivory.
It's dense and heavy feeling almost like ceramic to me. I do like the way it looks, but it has no grain and will never be mistaken for real ivory.
I just scanned the article quickly, but I don't think I saw any mention of using Mastodon (Mammoth) ivory.I didn't notice if any grips use Mastodon. Musicians are facing this issue of Ivory too. It is used on bow tips and some pegs on violins, and if it isn't Mastodon, owners need to be able to prove to Fish and Wildlife (who has jurisdiction with Ivory) that the Elephant Ivory used was pre-1975 ban. Otherwise, you can't sell the item. We also have a Steinway piano--1954--that has ivory keys.
Wolfman0125
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Most Real Ivory used today is Bone or Walrus I believe.
This is copied from Arizona Custom Grips. “Magna Tusk.” This is where the comments of better than Ivory as far as durability came from.
Custom Grips
About our exclusive Magna-Tusk™ “Hi-Grade” Ivory and Stag Grips:
Magna-Tusk™ Ivory and Stag grips, an exclusive of Arizona Custom Grips, are manufactured out of our super high-grade, ultra-high density material developed exclusively for our premium grip production. Vastly superior to standard bonded ivory or stag found on factory and other aftermarket grips, Magna-Tusk™ is capable of withstanding the heaviest recoil and impact, and is the toughest alternative grip material available today, while still retaining the pristine look of real ivory or stag. It is completely rock-solid, stable, and water, chemical, and oil resistant. It is flame and heat resistant, and is entirely void-free, with over 10x the strength, durability, and impact resistance of alternative materials. Unlike with real ivory or stag, there is no routine care and maintenance involved, with no danger of it drying out and cracking if not maintained properly or if left in the heat. It is filled with premium natural and synthetic compounds to produce outstanding aesthetic properties and mechanical performance. When aged with our exclusive aging process, it takes on the equivalent of a 100-year-old patina, with subtle grain details which many experts cannot tell apart from the real thing. In addition, the material has a fine grain structure, which holds intricate detail for carvings, artistic relief work, etc., found on many historic grips.
About Our Aging Process:
Unlike the lightweight artificial yellow plastic materials sometimes offered for sale, Magna-Tusk aged grips start out as a solid block of white virgin Magna-Tusk Ivory. Grip blanks are then milled from this premium material, incorporating both CNC techniques for blanking and being finished and polished with the same process used in manufacturing the originals. They are then carefully aged with our exclusive aging process, incorporating concentrated UV light (the essential aging property in natural sunlight), in a hermetically sealed environment.
Although this process is a much slower process than artificial coloring methods, the result speaks for itself. Our process produces an authentic appearance and genuine patina which extends into the surface, just like real ivory or stag. Not only does this give it the appearance of authenticity and depth, but this surface will not chip, crack, or peel like a superficially applied coating. Accept no substitutes. With Magna-Tusk aged grips, most experts cannot tell them apart from a decades-old or even a centuries-old original. While the quality difference is somewhat noticeable in the photos, the difference is even more apparent when seen and handled in person. Many of our repeat sales are made by the very customers we sell to, who take their custom-stocked revolvers to the range or club, where the quality difference is immediately seen and appreciated by fellow shooters.
Magna-Tusk grips have all the authenticity of the originals, with several improvements over original materials including increased durability, and are made to last a lifetime. They feature subtle but authentic color mottling, grain variegation, and other authentic minute details found on original old Ivory and aged Stag, as seen on many of the revolvers which belonged to gunfighters and lawmen of the Old West. Dense, heavy, and solid, Magna-Tusk grips are in a class all their own. With our exclusive aging process, these grips are outstanding right out of the box, and will continue to improve over time. The more these grips are handled and used, the better they look!
This is copied from Arizona Custom Grips. “Magna Tusk.” This is where the comments of better than Ivory as far as durability came from.
Custom Grips
About our exclusive Magna-Tusk™ “Hi-Grade” Ivory and Stag Grips:
Magna-Tusk™ Ivory and Stag grips, an exclusive of Arizona Custom Grips, are manufactured out of our super high-grade, ultra-high density material developed exclusively for our premium grip production. Vastly superior to standard bonded ivory or stag found on factory and other aftermarket grips, Magna-Tusk™ is capable of withstanding the heaviest recoil and impact, and is the toughest alternative grip material available today, while still retaining the pristine look of real ivory or stag. It is completely rock-solid, stable, and water, chemical, and oil resistant. It is flame and heat resistant, and is entirely void-free, with over 10x the strength, durability, and impact resistance of alternative materials. Unlike with real ivory or stag, there is no routine care and maintenance involved, with no danger of it drying out and cracking if not maintained properly or if left in the heat. It is filled with premium natural and synthetic compounds to produce outstanding aesthetic properties and mechanical performance. When aged with our exclusive aging process, it takes on the equivalent of a 100-year-old patina, with subtle grain details which many experts cannot tell apart from the real thing. In addition, the material has a fine grain structure, which holds intricate detail for carvings, artistic relief work, etc., found on many historic grips.
About Our Aging Process:
Unlike the lightweight artificial yellow plastic materials sometimes offered for sale, Magna-Tusk aged grips start out as a solid block of white virgin Magna-Tusk Ivory. Grip blanks are then milled from this premium material, incorporating both CNC techniques for blanking and being finished and polished with the same process used in manufacturing the originals. They are then carefully aged with our exclusive aging process, incorporating concentrated UV light (the essential aging property in natural sunlight), in a hermetically sealed environment.
Although this process is a much slower process than artificial coloring methods, the result speaks for itself. Our process produces an authentic appearance and genuine patina which extends into the surface, just like real ivory or stag. Not only does this give it the appearance of authenticity and depth, but this surface will not chip, crack, or peel like a superficially applied coating. Accept no substitutes. With Magna-Tusk aged grips, most experts cannot tell them apart from a decades-old or even a centuries-old original. While the quality difference is somewhat noticeable in the photos, the difference is even more apparent when seen and handled in person. Many of our repeat sales are made by the very customers we sell to, who take their custom-stocked revolvers to the range or club, where the quality difference is immediately seen and appreciated by fellow shooters.
Magna-Tusk grips have all the authenticity of the originals, with several improvements over original materials including increased durability, and are made to last a lifetime. They feature subtle but authentic color mottling, grain variegation, and other authentic minute details found on original old Ivory and aged Stag, as seen on many of the revolvers which belonged to gunfighters and lawmen of the Old West. Dense, heavy, and solid, Magna-Tusk grips are in a class all their own. With our exclusive aging process, these grips are outstanding right out of the box, and will continue to improve over time. The more these grips are handled and used, the better they look!
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